Community mourns loss of former UCLA track star

Community mourns loss of former UCLA track star

Olympic gold medalist Benjamin Brown killed in automobile
accident

By Rachanee Srisavasdi

Daily Bruin Contributor

Benjamin "Benny" Brown, a former NCAA champion quarter-miler for
UCLA and a gold-medal winner in the 1976 Olympics, died last week
in a car accident.

Brown, 42, was on his way to pick up his 6-year-old son from
school in Ontario last Thursday when he lost control of his car and
hit a light pole.

Brown, who entered UCLA as a freshman in 1972, was a member of
three NCAA champion mile relay teams in 1973, 1974 and 1975.

"Benny was one of the best competitors I’ve ever seen," said Jim
Bush, Brown’s former coach. "When he was running, he gave 110
percent. It was always a thrill to watch him run."

Brown, who graduated with a degree in kinesiology, ran the 220-
and 440-meter relays; his fastest college times were 45.0 seconds
for the 440 relay, which was the world’s fastest for that event in
1973.

"It was the golden age of track and field," said Gordan Pepper,
a former UCLA teammate of Brown. "And Ben was at the leading edge,
even as a freshman. We were better competitors because of him."

Brown was ranked second nationally and sixth in the world in
1975, and won a gold medal in the 1,600-meter relay in the 1976
Olympics in Montreal.

Former colleagues remembered Brown for his good nature and his
talent as an athlete.

"He always had a smile on his face. He was always in a good
mood," Bush said. "Except when I got him mad – I got him mad
because, when he was mad, he would run faster."

Brown had a full-time job at Hughes Aircraft Company in
Fullerton and worked as an assistant track coach at California
State University, Fullerton for the last eight years. Those who
knew Brown commented that he loved coaching as much as he did
running.

"Besides being a great athlete, he loved track and field, which
made him a great coach," said John Elders, head coach of Cal State
Fullerton’s track team.

Student athletes agreed, and stressed Brown’s impact as a
coach.

"He loved coaching because he put back what he got out of
track," said Casie Lozano, a fourth-year kinesiology student at
Fullerton and a runner who Brown coached. "If he could help anyone
with track, he would. Not just the track team, but anyone who
wanted to improve their running.

"I thought of him as an inspiration. Everyone did," Lozano said.
"He made me believe I could do it, even when I thought I
couldn’t."

Brown never stopped running, having recently competed in a few
nonprofessional Cal State Fullerton relays. He also planned to run
in a couple of master’s track tournaments this summer, Elders
said.

Brown was looking forward to seeing the ’96 Summer Olympics in
Atlanta. The Olympic Committee invited all former gold medalists to
the Summer Games; Brown planned to meet former teammates for a
reunion.

"He was always talking about the Summer Olympics," Lozano said.
"He was really excited to attend the games."

Brown is survived by his wife, Besela, and son, Cameron. A wake
was held Wednesday evening in Ontario; the funeral will be held
Sunday in San Francisco.

The track and cross country department at Cal State Fullerton
plan a track invitational in honor of Brown’s memory, which is
scheduled for early March.

A memorial fund has been created in memory of Benjamin Brown to
award scholarships to student sprint athletes. To make a
contribution, either write to the Ben Brown Memorial Fund, c/o
Titan Athletic Foundation, 2600 E. Nutwood, Ste. 850, Fullerton,
Calif. 92634, or contact Robert May at (714) 773-2009.

UCLA Sports Info.

Former UCLA track star and Olympic gold medalist Benjamin Brown
tragically died last Thursday in an automobile accident.

Comments to [email protected]